Program Operations Specialist (NE S 7)

Program Operations Specialist

The Department of Surgery has an outstanding opportunity for Program Operations Specialist to join their team. Reporting to the Division Administrator, the Program Operations Specialist is responsible for providing administrative, programmatic, and operational support for Emergency General Surgery and Breast Surgery within the Division of General Surgery. This position supports complex clinical, academic, and fellowship programs across multiple sites, ensuring effective coordination of faculty activities, strategic initiatives, operational priorities, compliance requirements, and financial processes. The role plays a critical part in supporting patient care, education, research, and program growth initiatives.

This position is based in the Health Sciences Building and operates in a hybrid work environment with three or more remote workdays per week, depending on business needs. Flexible work hours may be required, including occasional early morning or evening meetings.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic and programmatic operational responsibilities for the sub-programs of Breast Surgery and Emergency General Surgery = 65%

• Meet regularly and collaborate with faculty and pertinent staff to review strategy and align operational goals with strategic imperatives.
• Implement operational goals; independently set priorities for accomplishment on a day-to-day basis
• Ensure smooth operational functioning and optimization of faculty in each of the core areas of our mission: clinical, research and education.
• Know and understand the strategic imperatives and initiatives and operational realities at each location for the programs this specialist supports. Build successful relationships at each site to successfully implement and monitor operational goals. Work to understand operational realities and organizational structure at each location to ensure success of programs at each location; work to understand and minimize location variation
• Independently problem solve issues for faculty and program administration
• Coordinate and collaborate with onboarding and offboarding faculty duties as necessary; requires substantial collaborative work with Manager-Division Operations, Division Administrator, and Department Faculty Affairs
• Work with division and section leadership to incorporate division faculty into governing structures of other organizations as appropriate
• Manage programmatic communications. Collaborate with UW Medicine marketing to generate and produce marketing materials including website creation and provider outreach

Program Administrative Support of Surgical Oncology Breast Fellowship = 15%

• Coordinate all aspects of fellowship recruitment, selection, onboarding, and offboarding activities, including interview scheduling, Match Day processes, appointments, credentialing, certification, and transition activities.
• Serve as the primary administrative resource for fellows, coordinating orientation, training requirements, conference participation, travel support, program communications, and ongoing educational and administrative needs.
• Partner with program directors, Faculty Affairs, and institutional stakeholders to support fellow appointments, visa processes, compliance requirements, and successful progression through the training program.
• Administer fellowship operations by maintaining records, monitoring program requirements and deadlines, coordinating access to systems and resources, managing fellowship-related funds, and preparing reports for leadership.
• Ensure compliance with institutional, regulatory, accreditation, and program-specific requirements while supporting continuous program effectiveness and maintaining appropriate documentation and record retention practices.

Operational oversight of policies, protocols and compliance for assigned programs = 10%

• Know, understand and interpret all applicable policies, rules, guidelines associated with the programs they oversee. Know when to escalate issues to higher authority. This may include clinical policies related to faculty, fiscal policies and others.
• Know, understand and interpret department policies, including Faculty Affairs policies, professionalism policies, and so forth. Know when to escalate issues to higher authority.

Financial operational duties = 10%

• Responsibility for expenditure and close monitoring of funds related to general surgery faculty designated funds in areas of responsibility.
• Provide regular review to faculty and administrators; recommend and implement actions to ensure funds are not over or inappropriately spent.
• Ensure reimbursements are requested and received in a timely manner.
• Ensure implementation of departmental policies and procedures related to general surgery division operating funds.
• Responsible for managing funds related to large-scale meetings, retreats or workshops. Work to set up specific budgets for these events, ensure approvals, spend funds, reconcile and keep on budget.

Required Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity your application must demonstrate you meet both the minimum qualifications and additional qualifications listed below. Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants who do not meet these qualifications WILL NOT be forwarded to the Hiring Department.

• BA in business, health sciences, biology, psychology, English or other relevant area
• 2 years' experience in health care programs

Additional Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal skills ability to establish good working relationships with a variety of people.
• Works successfully within a variety of systems and sites.
• Excellent communication skills in various formats.
• Expert user of Microsoft Office products; including Excel.
• Must understand basic financial/accounting concepts.
• Develop and implement project management tools and strategies.

Desired Qualifications

• 3+ years supporting a surgical, clinical, educational, or academic program.
• Experience working in an academic medical center.
• Experience supporting fellowship, residency, or other educational/training programs.
• Experience coordinating complex projects and multiple stakeholder groups.
• Experience developing, managing, and monitoring program budgets, including tracking expenditures, forecasting expenses, and managing faculty or trainee educational allotments.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work environment- 3 or more remote days depending on business need
• Meetings can occur in the early morning or evening hour